OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22295, 22 June 1934, Page 6

OTAGO HARBOUR BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Harbour Board was held last niffht, and was attended by Messrs H. C. Campbell (chairman), W. Begg, R. Duncan, J. B. Waters, A. Campbell, T. Scollay, J. Loudon, H. E. Mollcr, F. Jones, M.P., and R. S. Thompson. FINANCE. The chairman reported that the board had a credit balance of £41,042 15s 2d. DONATION. It was decided to make a donation ot £lO 10s to the funds of the British Sailors' Society. THE TUG DUNEDIN. The Standing Committee reported that it had considered communications trom Air A. J. Ellerker, Sydney, inquiring il the tug Dunedin was for sale, and submitting particulars of a tug which he has for disposal.—The committee recommended that the communications be received and that Mr Ellerker be advised that the tug was not for sale. The recommendation was approved. CHRISTMAS ANNUAL. On the recommendation of the Standing Committee it was decided to take a full page advertisement in the Otago Witness Christmas Annual at a cost of £SO. LOANS CONVERSION. The Standing Committee reported that it had noted letters from Messrs J. H. Francis and Co., Ltd., with respect to the approval of the board's loans conversion scheme, and recommended for approval the secretary's reply approving of the insertion of an "option of redemption" clause in the main conversion loan. . ~ ' The recommendation was approved. STURDEE STREET. The Standing Committee recommended that the board approve of the formation of Sturdee street between Devon and Bauchop streets bein*? carried out in accordance with the plans of the City Council. The chairman stated that provision had been made for the work in the estimates. The recommendation was adopted. MUSSEL BAY. The Standing Committee recommended for adoption the report of the sub-com-mittee submitting for approval the draft amending agreement between the Port Chalmers Borough Council and the board regarding the drainage of Mussel Bay. The report was adopted. REVENUE RETURN. A return was submitted showing that the revenue for the eight months ended May 31 was £98,533, compared with £91,719 for the corresponding period of the previous year. MOTION HELD OVER.

Mr A. Campbell was given permission to postpone moving the following resolution, of which he had erven notice:— "That the portion of the resolution ot the board of April 19, 1934, relating to the prohibiting'of all unauthorised persons from going on to the Mole be rescinded." Mr Campbell stated that he wished to hold his notice of motion over for a month. The engineer, he said, had told bim that he had a system that would keep the lights intact and it would be inadvisable to move his motion until they had the engineer's report. TENDERS FOR TIMBER.

The Standing Committee recommended that authority be granted to call for tenders for timber for Port Chalmers wharves and piles for stock, and that the chairman and Mr Begg be appointed to open tenders on the due closing date. — Adopted. The recommendation was adopted. FLUSH DECKING AT GEORGE STREET PIER. The chairman reported that in the matter- of the flush decking between the first line of rails at George street pier previously authorised by the board, he and Mr Munro had met representatives of the shipping companies and the Port Chalmers Waterside Workers' Union, and decided on the most satisfactory portion of the wharf to flush deck in the meanRATES OF WAGES.

Mr Jones stated that he had noticed that relief workers had been taken from other jobs andahad been engaged in clearing away the buildings at the old cement works. This was work that would be done in normal times at the ordinary rate f>J wages, and award rates should be paid in this instance. The same remarks, he stated, applied to the cleaning of the Leith canal. ' Mr Jones added that Mr W. Bromley, of the Unemployment Board, had stated that the Public Works Department had undertaken work in connection with the airport on the southern endowment. Members should have been advised of this fact. The chairman promised to look into the questions raised by Mr Jones with repect to wages. He added that the board bad handed over the endowment to the Aero Club, for which any work undertaken by the Public Works Department had been done. He was sure that nothing would be done without the approval of the board's engineers. TIME WORKED BY STAFF.

Mr Jones also drew attention to the fact that only 14 men had been affected by the board's decision to increase' from four days to five the work given to permanent hands on tbe works staff. He added that altogether 54 men were employed on the dredges, in the shore gangs, and on the engineer's works staff. Apart from the 14 men, these were receiving only four days' work a week. He thought that they should all be placed on tbe same footing. The chairman reminded Mr Jones that in January the work had been increased from three days to four. Mr Scollay said that he understood that as the work could not be carried out without a full staff the 14 men were only walking about. Mr Waters said that the engineer had told tbe Finance Committee that he needed the extra time added to the employment of permanent men. The chairman promised to look into the matter. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer's report for the month of May was as follows: — The dredge Otakou handled 35,480 cubityards of material. The whole of this material was deposited at the dredge Vulcan. During the month the dredge steamed 158 miles and consumed 72.428 tons of oil fuel. The dredgfe Vulcan pumped 38,480 cubic yards of material received from dredge Otakou into the Mussel Bay reclamation area. Mole Reconstruction. — During the period of live weeks ended June 2. 1034, the following operations were carried out at the quarry:—294o cubic yards of slone were deposited on the Mole and 1540 cubic yards of debris on the swamp reclamation. Tbe No. 27 tunnel shot was fired on Thursday, May 24, with satisfactory results, a considerable quantity of large stone having been brought down. The stonework at the outer end of the Mole has now been raised to above high-tide mark, and the lower places in the vicinity of the hulks are being built up to the required level. Machinery.—The crankshaft of the -No. 2 Butler crane was dismantled aud repaired in the board's workshop. No. 2 steam shovel bucket was also repaired, and new pins and bushes fitted. The removal of Mr East's woolshed and outbuildings to their new position was completed by the contractor. Mussel Bay.—The reclamation of Mussel Bay is progressing steadily, the spoil being concentrated alonj; the western boundary adjacent to the railway line. The close-timbered fence is successfully holding the spoil, and every effort is being made to bring the ground along the line of the proposed sewer up to the required level &o that the first section of the sewer can be laid. Retaining Wall. —The construction of the retaining wall along the seaward boundary is progressing satisfactorily, being built with stone from the Port Chalmers quarry and from the half-tide wall. A length of 300 feet at the eastern end was completed to the heicht of two feet above hich-wnter mark, the bcinht of the remaining 700 feet varying between hiffh and low-water level. For the neriod of five weeks euded June 1, 1934. the following quantities of stone were deposited on the wall:—From hnlf-tide wall. 537 cubic yards: from Port Chalmers quarry, 445 cubic yards:—total, 982 cubic yards. Half-tide Wall.—During the period of five weeks ended June 1, 1934, 537 cubic yards «f stone w-erc removed from the Tfalf-tide wall and deposited on the Mussel Hay retaining wall.

Lower Harbour Beacons—No. 13 black beacon, which was knocked down by passing shipping, was picked up and dismantled and a temporary two-pile beacon driven and fitted with ladder and light. The following beacons were repaired: lied No. 10, three braces repaired and two new walings fitted; Ked Nos. 11 and 12, bolted up where necessary; Black No. 9, one brace and one waling repaired and all bolts tightened up; Black Nos. 11 and 14, all bolts tightened up and renewed where necessary; Vulcan's pit, one new mooring pile .for tbe. dredge Vulcau was driven. Broad Bay Wharf.—The remaining five bays of the approach were dismantled and 24 piles drawn. Three bays of the approach have been left intact and the timber work finished off. Leith Canal Parapet Wall.—The construction of the parapet wall between Harbour terrace and Anzac avenue bridge, comprising 345 lineal feet, was completed. The section of the Leith canal between Forth street bridge and Anzac avenue bridge is now completed. Slip.—No. 5 punt of the Vulcan's floating pipe liuej which has been undergoing repairs for a considerable time, was completed, tarred, and launched. The repairs to the office landing punt were completed. No. 2 pile driver punt was slipped, and »i leak repaired. No. 4 Vulcan's punt was slipped for repairs. Wharf Storage Sheds.—The usual repairs were executed to the various storage sheds, including repairs to doors, floors, and leaking skylights. One pair of new doors was fitted in U shed. The painting of U shed roof and doors was completed. Belief Works—Leith Canal. —Relief workers were employed removing detritus from the Leith canal between Forth street and the Anzac ayeuue bridge. A large quantity of materia] was deposited in tbe canal by a recent fresh in the stream. Boat Harbour Wall.—Relief workers were employed repairing the seaward face of the boat harbour and Black Jack's walls and cutting manuka scrub for fascine work at IVlussel Bay. South Endowment.—Relief workers were employed erecting walls for reclamation purposes at the South Endowment area _ Harbour Survey.—The following localities were sounded and charts prepared:— Vulcan pit entrance channel, Harrington Point bend, part Deborah Bay bend, and a portion of the cross channel, Lower Harbour. lIARBOUR MASTER'S REPORT. The harbour master reported that during the month of May 52 vessels, representing a tonnage of 90,519, arrived at Dunedin and Port Chalmers, and the departures were bi vessels, representing 91,047 tons. Twenty-seven vessels, representing 125,90 S tons, received pilotage.